The "Five Sons Deng Ke" series of performances is a performance platform built for young actors and is also a brand project of the Shanghai Kun Opera Troupe. Since its inception in 2009, it has reflected the transformation trajectory of several generations of young artists in Kunming from youth to maturity, and also allowed the audience to witness the process of them gradually becoming the mainstay of the troupe and even the Kunqu opera industry. After "Five Sons Enrolled" was revived at the Lyceum Theater last year, "Kunming Class Four" and "Kunming Class Five" made their debut as a group. This year, they returned to the Lyceum again, with the youngest generation of Shangkun as the leading performer.
Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe's "Five Sons" performance season poster
The four actors this time are all classmates of "Kunwu Class Five". They are turning 30 this year, but almost all of them have been performing for nearly 20 years and have accumulated a lot of stage art experience. , and many viewers grew up with it. Although the performances in the past few days have been in the sweltering heat, the audience's enthusiasm has not diminished. The atmosphere in the theater every day is fiery, with flowers and applause accompanying each young actor's special performance. Most of the
5 young actors are ushering in a special performance for the first time in their artistic careers, and the repertoire they perform is carefully selected by themselves to showcase their years of learning and artistic accumulation. There are even some plays that are newly learned and performed in public for the first time. Each excerpt in the special performance is personally guided and carefully crafted by the teachers of the five actors. At the curtain call, teachers and students took the stage together, and there were constant touching scenes.
Gu Haohao, director of Shanghai Kun Opera Troupe, said: "'Everyone blooms with each passing year and never grows old'. The inheritance of Kun Opera is youthful. Success after success, the fire is passed down from generation to generation, building a ladder of growth for young actors. This is why we created the performance of 'Five Sons Dengke' Ji's original intention."
Zhou Yimin: Kun Opera will be the love of my life
html On July 17, Zhou Yimin's solo performance of the "Five Sons Enrolled" series of performances kicked off. As a sixth-dan actor in Kunqu Opera, Zhou Yimin chose three completely different plays, including "The Romance of the West Chamber: Good Times," "The Heroic Heroes: Farewell Brother," and "The Hairpin: An Appointment for a Hairpin," although they were all six-dan roles. , but the character span is huge.
zhou Yimin
"For me, this performance has special meaning. This is my first solo performance." Zhou Yimin said that the heroines of these three plays, Matchmaker, Pan Jinlian and Yunxiang, are three different ages, personalities, Women with completely different circumstances and mentality. Among them, "The Story of a Righteous Hero: Playing Uncle and Farewell Brother" is a newly learned play that has never been performed before.
Although the challenge is huge, Zhou Yimin said, “On the one hand, I hope to step out of my comfort zone, challenge myself, and leave a special memory for myself and the audience; on the other hand, I also want to take this opportunity to fully experience the joy brought by the performance. .”
Among them, “The Romance of the West Chamber” was one of the earliest plays that Zhou Yimin learned from teacher Liang Guyin. "The Legend of the Righteous Hero: Farewell Brother" is also Liang Guyin's masterpiece. "The first time I saw Teacher Liang perform this play, I was fascinated. Taking advantage of the opportunity of the special performance, I asked Teacher Liang what I wanted to do. "Learning to perform this play"
"The Story of a Hairpin: Meeting for a Hairpin" is a play written by Professor Ni Hong when Zhou Yimin was studying at the drama school. "When I learned this play, I was about the same age as Xiao Liu Dan Yun Xiang. At the same age. Although I was already familiar with Kun Opera, I was ignorant and didn’t know what it meant. This time, Teacher Liang also helped me organize "Meeting for a Hairpin". At this time, I overlapped with my younger self on the stage. I finally understood that Kun Opera will be the love of my life. "
Ni Xuhao: I feel more and more happy on the stage.
Ni Xuhao, a junior student, started learning Kun Opera this year. ’s twentieth year. In his special performance, he used a Jinsheng play "Picking Up Paintings and Calling Paintings", a Wu Xiaosheng play "Yaguan Tower", and a Daguansheng play "Welcoming Images and Crying Statues" to show everyone the details of his Kunqu opera learning journey. miniature.
""Pick Up Paintings and Call Paintings" was the first niche play I learned. At that time, I followed Teacher Yue Meiti and studied every word, every move, for two or three years. Some plays I learned after working, You may feel rusty after not acting for a while, but the early plays such as "Picking Paintings and Calling Paintings" and "Qin Picking" are unforgettable and are engraved in your bones." The artistic skills of being capable of both literary and martial arts. "Performing this play is, on the one hand, a challenge to myself, and on the other hand, I hope to expand my acting career and repay the love of the audience with more diversified works."
"Welcoming Image and Crying Image" is a Kunqu opera The singing one-man show of the CUHK Guansheng is also the first time that Ni Xuhao has performed it after studying the play for 8 years. "I was fortunate enough to learn this play from Teacher Cai Zhengren in the National Xiaosheng Training Class in 2016. I was only in my early twenties at that time, and I found it quite difficult to learn this play. I always felt that it was difficult to grasp the essence. I made it in the school last year In middle school, I followed Teacher Cai Zhengren to learn the pinnacle of Daguansheng's profession, "The Bell and the Palace". It was Teacher Cai's affirmation and encouragement that gave me the courage to challenge "The Weeping Statue" eight years later. "."
Ni Xuhao said, "Through Kun Opera, I feel more and more happy on the stage. Kun Opera has become a part of my life. As mentioned before, it has been engraved in my bones and cannot be thrown away casually." What makes me happiest is that the audience is full during the performance. Leader Gu Haohao once said: I want to grow old together with the audience. She thinks this is a very romantic thing, and I think so too. Of course."
Yuan Jia: Let the audience see the unknown side of me
Yuan Jia, the maiden of "Kunnan Class Four", is giving her second special performance in her acting career. She selected for herself three very distinctive and challenging plays: "The Story of Red Pear·Ting Hui", "Leifeng Pagoda·Broken Bridge" and "The Story of Nanke·Yao Tai", corresponding to three characters with different personalities. The image of a boudoir girl also focuses on different performance styles.
Yuan Jia
"These fold plays can be said to represent the 'one body and many aspects' of Gui Men Dan's performing arts. The three plays are all inherited from my mentor, Kunqu opera performing artist and educator Zhang Xunpeng. It is worth mentioning that this The three plays are also of special significance in Teacher Zhang's artistic career, especially the different paths she takes to inherit these three plays - learning opera, integrating opera, and watching opera. "
" Generally speaking, when it comes to special performances, most actors will choose. My favorite dramas are "Broken Bridge" and "Yao Tai", which are completely "uncertain" dramas for me. Among them, "Broken Bridge" is more of a rendition, which I often performed in the past. The audience's impression of me has always been beautiful in my fresh and fresh plays. I also want the audience to see an unknown side of me."
Yuan Jia said that although the protagonists in these three plays are different in their stage performances. There is one outstanding thing in common, that is, they are all brave at heart and do their best for their own destiny. "After working silently for so many years, I want to be like them and take a brave step to surprise myself and the audience."
Zhang Weiwei: Becoming Ji Zhenhua's disciple is the most fortunate thing
Laosheng actor Zhang Weiwei's background Born in a Liyuan family, he was influenced by the artistic atmosphere of his family at an early age and embarked on the road of opera. During the "Academy System" project of Shangkun, the theater invited famous people from the north and south to teach young actors and solve their doubts. Zhang Weiwei learned "Running at Night" from the northern Kunqu master Hou Shaokui, "Yunyang Law Field" from the Jiangsu Kunqu master Ke Jun, "Maling Road Sun Jie" from the Suzhou Kunqu master Yang Xiaoyong, and the Qipai School of the Shanghai Peking Opera Theatre. The famous master Chen Shaoyun studied the famous Qi School drama "Xu Ce Running for the City".
As Zhang Weiwei embarked on the long journey of learning Kun Opera, he felt that the most fortunate thing was to become a disciple of Mr. Ji Zhenhua, the "number one veteran in Kun Opera".
"Among many teachers, I have been with Mr. Ji for the longest time. Because of this, I have been able to learn the most diverse repertoire.From the initial acquaintance with him to the long-term study together, he has always taught me his expertise and the essence of Kun Opera art without reservation and step by step. During those study days, my husband would patiently demonstrate the details of each movement for me and explain the charm of each line in detail, allowing me to deeply feel the infinite charm of Kun Opera. "
Zhang Weiwei
For this special performance, he carefully prepared two plays, namely the classic Kun Opera Laosheng opera "Soushan Taxi" and the Kun Opera Laosheng masterpiece "Farewell Mother's Arrows", both of which were taught by Ji Zhenhua himself.
"This time The special performance is not only my personal performance, but also a report on the teachings of many teachers. It is a concentrated presentation of my continuous exploration and accumulation in the field of Kunqu opera art learning for many years. This is the embodiment of my deep love and persistent pursuit of the art of Kunqu Opera, and it is also a sincere gift to the audience. ”
Qian Yuting: The teachers’ dedication to Wudan art illuminated me
Qian Yuting is a Kunqu Opera Wudan. Her special performances range from the opening opera "Hujiazhuang" in her Wudan career to the martial arts opera "Borrowing the Fan" , and then to the inherited "Hongqiao Gift Pearl", which is her review of her growth path in Kunqu Opera Wu Dan and Daoma Dan
"Looking back on the days when I first started, the hard work of practicing is still vivid in my mind. Every early morning leg press and kick, every sweaty practice, the soreness of my body, and the difficulty of performing have made me want to give up countless times... However, I am lucky. Along the way, I have gained the support of Wang Zhiquan and Gu. Thanks to the teaching and care of these two teachers, their dedication to Wudan art illuminated my love for the art of Kun Opera and enabled me to persevere to this day. "
But even so, the Wudan profession is still much crueler than other Dan roles. "Martial arts actors don't have many opportunities to perform on the stage, and their stage life is not as long as that of literary opera actors. For martial arts actors, every minute counts. is precious. "Because of this, Gu Haohao, who is also very talented, knows the importance of time. Despite her busy schedule, she taught Qian Yuting the play "Giving Pearls from Hongqiao".
Qian Yuting
" Reviewing her own Kunqu Opera I am grateful for Wudan’s growth. There is no end to learning, and I would like to continue to hold on to my love and persistence for Kunqu Opera and Wudan, shine my own light on this stage, pass on this art, and let more people appreciate its unique charm. "
